And Now For Something Different

Sentencing With A Smile

This is a little story about a alternative "community court" that not only deals with real cases, but offers GED classes, childcare, job training, social workers, and drug counselors all in the same building for a more holistic attempt to cut down on crime. First of all I'm proud to say it's in Brooklyn and in a section I can attest that unfortunately I once got lost in and was very scared for my life. I'm sure that this court is helping osme but I still don't recommend getting lost there.

Anyway, I'm glad that governemnt was behind the creation and implementation of the court. I think that a big reason for the repeat offenders in courtrooms is just because throughout their lives they repeatedly get lost in the system that's supposed to help them. The first and only step is schools. Once they get lost there, they're pretty much done until they arrive in court. At least these people are making an attempt to end the cycle.

I'm not sure I completely agree with this incarnation. As much as television and film have fed us the entertaining images of acerbically witty judges, something doesn't seem right about the same justices coming down of the bench to shake hands and slap people on their backs. And the better solution would be to put more money in programs that help kids in schools so that they're less likely to fall through cracks, you know like after-school programs, making sure there aren't 40 kids in a classroom, little things like that. But at least they're thinking of stopgaps, a big step in the right direction.